


Precious

by flowersforgraves



Series: BTHB [14]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, First Contact, Gen, Miscommunication, Universal Translator Mishaps, nonsexual asphyxiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 06:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16759762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersforgraves/pseuds/flowersforgraves
Summary: Scotty's first-contact mission goes a bit differently than planned.





	Precious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KizzaKiriki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KizzaKiriki/gifts).



> prompt from KizzaKiriki via discord: 'if I can't have you' + Scotty
> 
> (card [here](https://flowersforgraves.tumblr.com/post/177921515881/); current list of claimed and filled prompts [here](https://flowersforgraves.tumblr.com/post/180544180751/))

_Being taken captive on a planet known to be hostile isn’t much different than being taken captive on a first contact mission,_ Scotty concludes ten minutes into his stay in a dark, wet prison cell. The only material difference is that he can’t understand all of what his captors want, which isn’t so bad for things like ‘go over there’ or ‘be quiet,’ but very much a problem for more complicated demands like ‘why are you here’ or ‘is this an invasion force.’

The cell door opens, if that’s the correct word for a structure that appears to be alive, and a complement of three hostiles step through. One of them puts its -- hand? its... appendage, Scotty decides, its appendage over his mouth. He does his best to keep still, breathing deep through his nose, until it moves up to cover his nose and eyes, leaving his mouth free. 

When it removes its appendage, what he can only assume is its face is uncomfortably close to him. There’s a sound like a humanoid sniffling, and then, in the broken jargon of the universal translator, he hears a booming voice say “You will serve.”

He blinks, and opens his mouth to protest, but he's cut off by the appendage wrapping around the back of his head and drawing him forward. “You will serve,” he hears again, and before he knows it he’s been bundled out of the cell and into a very, very well lit hallway. 

“It will serve,” he hears, over and over, every time his companion passes another in the hall. “It will serve,” is the reply, faint almost like the Doppler effect.

Until, of course, the reply _isn’t_ “It will serve.”

“It will not serve,” rumbles another voice, one belonging to an intimidatingly large being. “It will not serve _you_. It will serve _me._ ”

Scotty glances around, squeezing his hands into fists almost involuntarily as he searches for any opportunity to escape.

“No,” his companion says. “If it will not serve me, then it will not serve at all.”

Scotty has a brief moment to wonder what that means before the appendage is back over his face. This time, it covers his eyes, nose, and mouth, and he hadn’t managed to catch a breath beforehand, so his heart starts hammering in his chest almost immediately. His hands come up, clawing desperately at his captor’s gooey flesh in a futile attempt to free himself.

“No!” It’s a roar, coming from the being that isn’t smothering him, and he shuts his eyes as it leaps towards them. “You will not! It will serve!”

There’s a familiar noise, just at the edge of his hearing, and suddenly he is on the floor of the transporter room, gasping for breath. Lieutenant Kyle hurries around the console, helping him sit up. “What --” Scotty asks, still breathless.

“The cap’n said to pull you out,” the lieutenant explains. “You missed check-in.”

“Thank god he did!” Scotty exclaims. “He hasn’t sent anyone else down?”

“No,” Kyle confirms.

“Good. I’ll make my report --” he moves to stand up, but his legs shake under him, so he catches himself on the wall just in time, “-- in a moment,” he finishes.


End file.
